Experienced police employees enter retirement

Retiring Senior Officer Jeffrey Granger, a 33-year veteran of the Corpus Christi Police Department (right), shakes hands with friends and colleagues Friday during a reception for retiring police department employees. The department honored 14 retiring officers and civilian workers during the reception at the Education Service Center.

Michael Zamora/Caller-Times

Bryan Smith, former police chief, (left) receives a plaque from Police Chief Troy Riggs on Friday during a reception for retiring Corpus Christi Police Department employees at the Education Service Center.

CORPUS CHRISTI - Fourteen police department employees, including the former chief, were honored for a combined 357 years of service during a retirement ceremony Friday.

The ceremony honored all the officers and civilian employees who have retired during the past year.

"We'll do our best to keep them engaged in our work because there's a lot of institutional knowledge there that can benefit the community," Police Chief Troy Riggs said. "You also hope that through mentoring younger officers over the years, that experience has been passed down."

Former Police Chief Bryan Smith said he hasn't had much free time in retirement between teaching courses at Del Mar College and enjoying spending time with his family, including his 18-month-old son.

Smith plans to move to Houston for a new job in March.

"I've always said that God calls on some of us to be servants and some of us to be masters," he said. "I was called on as a public servant and it has been the greatest honor of my life to serve for what I consider the greatest police department in Texas."

The eight officers and six civilian employees were honored with plaques and praise.

Organizers also put together a short video presentation that featured pictures of the employees throughout their careers.

Senior Officer Elizabeth Gonzalez, who retired after 21 years with the department, said her three-year stint as a motorcycle officer was the best time she ever had. But she said it was time to retire so that she could devote time to traveling and relaxing.

"I'm just going to try not to do a whole lot of things I don't feel like doing," Gonzalez joked.